Respawn Entertainment, when searching for the perfect balance for Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order’s combat difficulty, took inspiration from a mix of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Metroid.
Speaking to IGN, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order director Stig Asmussen discussed how the team wanted the game to “feel grounded, like the more punishing games,” but still have an accessibility that has the player thinking of the “right tools to take out the enemy in quicker ways,” but isn’t quite as “light as Zelda.”
“When we first started, this is even on the earlier game that we were working on, I said, “We need to find a balance,”” Asmussen said. “We looked at Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker where they’ve got a Z targeting system and it’s a very friendly combat system but it also makes you feel smart when you figure out the right tools to take out the enemy in quicker ways. Metroid works that way as well too, once you get different abilities. It makes you think. That’s why we call it thoughtful combat.”
Source: IGN.com Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order: Wind Waker and Dark Souls Are an Inspiration